Saving Seafood

Retiring NOAA exec has impossible to-do list: whale deaths, Rafael decision, more

September 29, 2017 — GLOUCESTER, Mass. — John Bullard knows he has a daunting list of tasks to complete before he walks away, in about three months, from his position as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) top decision maker for the northeastern part of the US.

It’s urgent for NOAA to determine why so many right whales have recently died, take action to protect scallop populations in the northern Gulf of Maine and advance the Omnibus Habitat Amendment, a six-volume document that’s been in the works for 10 years and would address essential fish habitat as well as permanent and seasonal closed areas, he believes. But that’s just a few of the jobs he told Undercurrent News he wants to see to completion before leaving.

The announcement, made in July, that Bullard will retire as the administrator of NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Region on Jan. 5 puts a cap on a recent five-year stint at the agency, which he told Undercurrent during a break at the New England Fishery Management Council meeting, is three years longer than he said he told his wife he would stay in the job. He said he has not yet decided what he will spend his time on after that.

“I’m retiring,” he reiterated when pressed. “I’m retiring.”

Neither will NOAA, which advertised Bullard’s job for a month starting on Aug. 7, say how many candidates it’s now considering to fill his post or suggest when a successor might be named. It’s the agency’s policy to “not comment on ongoing hiring actions,” a spokesperson said.

Whoever is awarded the position – one of five regional leadership positions for NOAA — will have the daunting job of working with the fishery councils to manage 44 fish stocks, including two in New England (scallops and lobster) that are worth more than $500 million per year each, according to the agency.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

STATEMENT ON THE ADMINISTRATION’S NORTHEAST CANYONS AND SEAMOUNTS MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT DESIGNATION

September 19th, 2016 — The following was released by The Seafood Harvesters of America: 

The Seafood Harvesters of America represents commercial fishermen from Maine to Florida, Texas to the West Coast and north to the Gulf of Alaska and beyond. Everything we do in our work as fishermen and in our advocacy for accountable and sustainable fishery practices is based on our nation’s foundational fisheries law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, or MSA. Commercial fishing is not a right, it is a privilege bestowed by the laws of our country. We take that privilege very seriously.

And with privilege comes obligation. A president has an obligation to uphold the laws of this land before exercising the privilege of his office. Exercised incompletely and with little regard for science – and the public’s informed input – MSA is quickly reduced to little more than an instrument of punishment to be taken to us when it is politically expedient. The Act is capable of so much more and we are deserving of so much better.

Magnuson-Stevens allows for identification of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), and regulatory mechanisms for preventing fishing in areas designated as EFH. In the Northeast we have just completed a 10-year process working closely with the New England Fishery Management Council to designate – again, within and under the MSA – extensive areas for EFH protection. Voluntarily and in a deeply collaborative fashion, we have taken ourselves “off the water” across vast areas of the Atlantic seaboard, from the Carolinas to the Canadian border. This has not been easy, this has not been without pain, but it has taken place within the spirit and the letter of the law that we live by.

That’s why we are so disappointed at the course chosen by the Administration in setting aside the MSA and declaring this Connecticut-sized marine monument. Although we applaud the fact that oil drilling will not be allowed in the area covered by the monument, the Administration has chosen to disregard the fact that commercial fishing will also be prevented. MSA provides a framework that we all could have worked within together, to prevent drilling and other potentially harmful activities while allowing for continued, well-managed commercial fishing.

The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument designation takes fishermen off the water across vast stretches of traditional fishing grounds unnecessarily, without due consideration and collaboration. It is a sad day when the creative potential of the Magnuson-Stevens Act is set aside in a unilateral fashion through executive action in favor of a declaration that threatens severe unintended consequences – not just for New England fishermen but for the foundational integrity of the regional fishery management council process and our nation’s premier fisheries law.

Eileen Sobeck Comments on Essential Fish Habitat

July 15, 2016 — Fish habitat earned legal respect 20 years ago when Congress added it to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the nation’s main fisheries law. We chatted about the role of Essential Fish Habitat with Eileen Sobeck, who has led NOAA Fisheries since 2014.

Why is habitat important to the fish we catch?

Fish aren’t just sitting there in the ocean waiting to be extracted. They are living in an environment, in a habitat, just like terrestrial species. To pretend that there will always be fish out there if their habitat is destroyed or polluted or otherwise compromised would be naïve.

What does habitat mean to you?

I’ve been snorkeling on coral reefs since childhood. I’ve been lucky enough to go diving and snorkeling all across the United States and the world. Just last month in Hawaii, I managed most mornings to go snorkeling outside my hotel. You can’t help but understand the concept of habitat supporting an entire ecosystem when you see a coral reef.

Read the full story at The Fishing Wire

An Essential Part of the Magnuson-Stevens Act Reaches 20 Years

February 29, 20156 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

As we celebrate 40 years of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, we reflect on how one revision to the Act has resulted in 20 years of protection for habitats that are vital to our nation’s fisheries. Join us this year in honoring the remarkable efforts and accomplishments through the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Program, which was mandated by Congress in 1996.

Healthy Fish Habitat is Truly Essential

Healthy habitat provides the foundation for productive fisheries and resilient coastal communities. Fish habitats provide homes to many of our important commercial and recreational species, and also protect our coastal communities by acting as buffers from storms and wave damage. These benefits are linked, because the areas where fish grow and thrive are often close to shore, where thousands of fishers work and millions of people live.

NOAA’s EFH mandate has charged us to seek out the best available science to understand how and why habitats are important to our species. To date, NOAA Fisheries and the regional fishery management councils have described habitats for more than 1,000 species.

Collaboration is Key

EFH has saved large amounts of both habitat and money. Together, NOAA Fisheries and the regional councils have succeeded in protecting more than 800 million acres of habitat. That’s the size of eight Californias! Plus, NOAA Fisheries has worked with state and federal agencies to improve the design, construction, and operation of hundreds of coastal and marine infrastructure projects. These collaborations have reduced habitat impacts and saved many millions of taxpayer dollars by inspiring greater attention to smart development that allows both ecosystems and economies to thrive.

Thankfully, a determined group of people made EFH a reality 20 years ago, and the future of sustainable fisheries will rely heavily on its continued success. In our reflections, we also have an opportunity to look forward, refine our approach, and make EFH even more effective. Today, we invite you to learn more and peruse stories of how EFH works—and works well.